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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · branch · stick · cabinet · hand · snap · can · file

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. can — a tin
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. branch — a division
  8. bat — the animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. can — a tin
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. hand — help
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. can — to be able to
  23. file — a document
  24. snap — to click

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com